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With a blow from the top-maul Ahab knocked off the steel head of the lance, and then handing to the mate the long iron rod remaining, bade him hold it upright, without its touching the deck. Then, with the maul, after repeatedly smiting the upper end of this iron rod, he placed the blunted needle endwise on the top of it. Icon Credit.

Great idea!

Then going through some small strange motions with it—whether indispensable to the magnetizing of the steel, or merely intended to augment the awe of the crew, is uncertain

He called for linen thread; and moving to the binnacle, slipped out the two reversed needles there, and horizontally suspended the sail-needle by its middle.
Over one of the compass-cards. At first, the steel went round and round, quivering and vibrating at either end; but at last it settled to its place, when Ahab, who had been intently watching for this result, stepped frankly back from the binnacle, and pointing his arm towards it, exclaimed,—”Look ye, for yourselves, if Ahab be not lord of the level loadstone! The sun is East, and that compass swears it! One after another they peered in, for nothing but their own eyes could persuade such ignorance as theirs, and one after they slunk away. In his fiery eyes of scorn and triumph, you then saw Ahab in all his pride. While now the fated Pequod had been so long afloat this voyage, the log and line had but very seldom been in use. The wooden reel and angular log attached hung, long untouched, just beneath the railing of the after bulwarks. (more…)